Burial apparatus



(No Model.)

'L.- 8. MAY. BURIAL APPARATUS.

No. 502,888. Patented Aug. 8, 1893.

M a" S i I A I QH PH U 8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LINCOLN SCOTT MAY, OF WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,888, dated August 8, 1893. Application filed November 18, 1892. Serial No. 452,419. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LINCOLN Soorr MAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The invention relates to the class of apparatus designed to be placed at the opening of a grave for mechanically lowering a casket into the ground.

The object of the'invention is to provide a cheap, simple and small device that is light in weight so that it can be readily placed in an inconspicuous position about the opening of a grave, and which is so constructed that a casket may be lowered into the ground mechanically by a single person, in a dignified and impressive manner without danger of accident, undue rapidity in lowering or requiring conspicuous manipulation.

To this end the invention resides in a small frame adapted to rest upon the ground around the top of the grave, supporting shafts holding casket bearing straps, with checking rollers, checking levers and an operating lever, provided for controlling the movement of the straps, as more particularly hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure l is a plan of the device with the cover of the frame broken away. Fig. 2 is a view of one end with the frame cut away. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of a checking lever; and Fig. 4 shows detail views of a checking roller. In the views 1 indicates an oblong frame, which is usually formed of light wood in the shape of a rectangular tube a little larger than the opening of the grave upon thetop edge of which it is to be placed. Supported by suitable brackets in this frame on the long sides are shafts 2 with drums 3 upon which are rolled flexible casket bearing straps 4. To these shafts 2, preferably at one end only, are secured rollers 5 of hard material, as iron or steel, which are usually formed with a por tion 'of their peripheries roughened, that is, provided with notches or teeth.

In the interior of the frame, pivoted to the walls adjacent to the rollers 5, are levers 6 (made in one or two parts as desired), the

outer ends of which are forked and span the rollers, while the inner ends are in the path of a wedge 8 formed on or secured to a lever 9 hinged to the frame with one end extending through the side wall so that it may be depressed by the foot of a person. The openings in the forks of the levers are shaped so as to somewhat closely conform to the size of the rollers, the arms 10 of theforks being shaped to conform to the peripheries of the rollers, while the other arms 11 have projections or lugs 12 adapted to pass into the notches in the peripheries of the rollers. A spring 13 normally so presses against the inner ends of the levers that the lugs 12 on the levers project into openings in the rollers o and keep the shafts and drums from rotat1on, and a casket can be placed at any time upon the straps without danger that itwill descend unduly into the grave abovewhich the frame 1s placed. The straps may be made of webbing orleatherand are connectedtogether under the casket by means of any common fastenlng 14, which can be released by pulling cords 15 when the casket reaches the bottom of the grave, and the straps may be rewound by any common crank applied to the ends of the shafts. When all is in readiness and a person presses with a foot upon the extended end of the operating lever its wedge tilts the I checking levers so that the lugs are removed from the notches. This releases the rollers and they are allowed to turn so that the drums will unwind the straps and lower the casket into the grave with a speed depending upon the amount of friction that the lower arms of the checking levers exert against the peripheries of the rollers. The forks of the checking levers are so shaped that, when they are oscillated and the lugs on the upper arms are withdrawn from the notches, frictional pressure is exerted on the surface of the checking rollers by the lower arms of the forks to prevent the toorapid unwinding of thedrums and insure that the casket will slowly descend into the grave. The speed of descension' is a drums so that the casket will come to a standstill and not drop violently into the grave.

The device is simple and cheap in construction; itis inconspicuous and can be operated quietly without attracting attention or detracting from the impressiveness of the solemn servlces.

The arrangement and f ulcruming of the operating lever and the checking levers are such that by a slight pressure upon the foot lever great friction is obtained on the checking rollers, so that With ease the descent of the casket can be regulated to a degree befitting the occasion, and no accidental dropping of the casket can occur, as the device always stands locked and will automatically lock itself in case of the failure of the person in charge to properly regulate the speed of descension of the casket.

I claim as my invention 1. A burial apparatus consisting of a frame, rotary shafts supported by the frame, checkin g rollers and drums bearing straps, secured to the shafts, checking levers pivoted to the frame and a foot-operating lever pivoted to the frame and adapted to force the checking levers against the rollers, substantially as specified.

2. A burial apparatus consisting of a frame, rotary shafts supported by the frame, checklng rollers and drums bearing straps, secured to the shafts, checking levers pivoted to the frame with a part adapted to retard and a part adapted to stop the rotation of the checking rollers, and a foot-operating-lever pivoted to the frame and adapted to force the checking levers against the rollers, substantially as specified.

3. A burial apparatus consisting of a frame, rotary shafts supported by the frame, checking rollers and drums bearing straps, secured to the shafts, said rollers having a roughened periphery, checking levers pivoted to the frame with a part adapted to retard and a part adapted to stop the rotation of the checking rollers, and a foot operating-lever pivoted to the frame and adapted to force the checking levers against the rollers, substantially as specified.

at. A burial apparatus consisting of a frame, rotary shafts supported by the frame, checking rollers and drums bearing straps, secured to the shafts, said rollers having a roughened periphery, checking levers pivoted to the frame spanning the rollers with friction arms on one side and toothed arms on the other side, and a foot operating-lever pivoted to the frame adapted to force the checking levers against the rollers,substantially as specified.

LINCOLN SCOTT MAY. 

